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Delta Air Lines adding first bag fee

(AP) - Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's biggest
carrier, said Wednesday it will impose a $15 fee to check a first bag, becoming the last of the six legacy airlines to impose such a fee.

The carrier also said it is cutting certain other fees as it
aligns its policies with those of Northwest Airlines, which it
acquired last week.

Atlanta-based Delta said that effective immediately, for traffic
on or after Dec. 5, customers flying within the U.S. will be
charged $15 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second
checked bag when traveling domestically, consistent with
Northwest's existing policies.

Customers who purchased Delta tickets on or before Wednesday,
and who are traveling on or after Dec. 5, will be charged $50 for a
second bag, but will be permitted to check their first bag without
charge based on Delta's previous policy.

Customers flying in first
or business class, including SkyMiles Medallion members and
WorldPerks Elite members, will be able to check up to three bags,
up to 70 pounds each, for free, Delta said.

Effective immediately, Delta will eliminate the $25 to $100 fuel
surcharges assessed for SkyMiles and WorldPerks award ticket travel
originating from the U.S. and Canada.

The surcharges were
instituted earlier this year by both airlines due to high fuel
prices, which have declined significantly since their record level
in July.

As of Thursday, Delta will reduce the fee assessed for tickets
purchased over the phone from a reservations sales representative
from $25 to $20, consistent with Northwest's policy.

Delta will
also reduce the fee collected when customers redeem either SkyMiles
or WorldPerks award travel over the phone with a reservations sales
representative from $25 to $20. There is no charge for customers
who book tickets and redeem award travel online at Delta's Web site
or Northwest's Web site.

As for curbside check-in, Delta said that, effective Dec. 5, it
will drop the $3 fee it has been charging.

Delta also said that last week it began offering coach customers
on certain flights the ability to purchase a better seat assignment
in their cabin for $5 to $25, depending on distance traveled and
seat location.

The so-called "coach choice seats" represent less
than 10 percent of all seat assignments available on Delta-operated
flights, the airline said.

Most other Northwest baggage policies and fees will be aligned
to Delta's structure, effective Dec. 5, Delta said. Travel on Delta
and Northwest tickets purchased prior to the announcement of the
changes will continue to be governed by prior Delta and Northwest
policies.

Delta completed its $2.8 billion stock-swap acquisition of
Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest on Oct. 29, creating the world's
biggest carrier in terms of traffic. The operations of Northwest,
which is now a Delta subsidiary, will be integrated with Delta's
over the next one to two years.

The company keeps Delta's name, its Atlanta headquarters, and
chief executive Richard Anderson, who used to run Northwest.